1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to lawn accessories extruded from a dense silicone rubber. More particularly, the invention relates to a silicone rubber, universal fit flexible cylindrical guard for protecting the trunks of trees and ornamental shrubs from wildlife and from being struck by lawn care equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known, in the landscaping arts, to decorate lawns and gardens with trees and ornamental shrubs. These trees and ornamental shrubs are, frequently, susceptible to being cut or damaged by impact with lawn care equipment, including state-of-the-art filament line weed-trimming equipment. And, it is desirable to protect the trunks of trees and ornamental shrubs from inadvertent strikes from this type of lawn care equipment and from damage that can be inflicted by various types of rodents, including mice, squirrels and beaver, and other wildlife such as rabbits and deer. While there are plastic guards that are available in this art for protecting the trunks of trees and ornamental shrubs, these devices are often produced from plastic materials that are susceptible to being shattered, broken, or cut by impact with lawn care equipment and that are also susceptible to becoming brittle upon exposure to sub-freezing temperatures creating an appreciable risk of shattering upon impact by lawn care equipment or large animals.
What is missing in the art is a universal fit flexible cylindrical guard for the trunk of a tree or an ornamental shrub that is made of a dense silicone rubber material that resists being cut by filament line weed trimmers, that is resistant to becoming brittle in sub-freezing temperatures and that can be simply extruded into a desired shape.